


Worth The Wait

by GrandpaOfAll (Greyed_Viking)



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Genre: All the Links are there but the tagged ones speak, He loves Ravio and doesn’t realize it, Link is Jealous™️, Link/Legend is a mess, M/M, Marin is only mentioned, The good KUSH, self-indulgent fic, there is one (1) OC but she’s not important
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:09:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24917377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Greyed_Viking/pseuds/GrandpaOfAll
Summary: In a world where you present knifes instead of rings for engagement, how does one blacksmith-adventurer feel about his love? Hopeless, but maybe there’s hope in unlikely (EXTREMELY LIKELY) places!
Relationships: Four & Legend (Linked Universe), Minor Four/Shadow, Ravio/Legend, Ravio/Link, Twilight & Legend (Linked Universe), past Marin/Link, ravioli - Relationship
Comments: 15
Kudos: 179





	Worth The Wait

**Author's Note:**

> This is super self-indulgent and Im sorry

It was horrible really, Link thought. That she was gone. That she was gone and there was nothing he could do but cry about it. Then again… Everything about her was a lie. Everything about her  _ wasn’t real _ . She… She wasn’t real. But she had felt so alive under his fingers, when he held her hand or when he kissed her face. She felt real, so in a way, maybe she  _ was  _ real.

Real as a dream can be, that is.

Shaking his thoughts away, Link focused on the task in front of him. A hot blade thrusted in water to cool the metal. That was right, he had been smithing. It was a machete, intended for Ravio, because while the shopkeeper sold weapons, he had none of his own. He smiled as he thought about the shopkeeper. Ravio was nice, a jerk and inconsiderate at times, but nice nonetheless. He was Link’s best friend, his closest confidant. He cared about Ravio, and Ravio cared about him. Ravio, of course, knew about Koholint and Marin. He was quiet the night Link told him, eyes wide and mouth ajar. Link feared he didn’t believe him, but Ravio had simply thrown his arms around him and hugged him close.

“I’m so sorry you lost her,” He had whispered. Link decided then that Ravio understood him totally, and that he would never let the rabbit man be in danger where he could lose him. Thus, the cooling blade.

“Link?” A voice came from his left. Turning, he saw Ravio standing there, fiddling with his tunic sleeves.

“Yes Ravi’?” Link responded, wondering what had the man so worked up. Ravio bit his lip, chewing on it for a second before answering.

“There’s some strange men here, looking for you. They asked for you by  _ name _ ,” He emphasized. Link noticed that Ravio had begun wringing his hands. He smiled softly at this action. Ravio was worried, worried about  _ him. _

“Shit, ah, let me clean up for a second and I’ll be right there, okay?” Ravio nodded and took off towards the front of the house. Link set the blade down carefully, placing his tongs to the side. Taking a nearby cloth, he wiped his face, mopping away the grime and sweat. It was hot and he felt dirty, but it was rewarding work.

With a newly, relatively clean face, he headed towards the front of the house. When he turned the corner, he stopped in his tracks. There were four men standing at his door, and none of the familiar.

“Can I help you?” Link asked, raising an eyebrow. The tallest one cleared his throat, drawing Link’s focus to him. He was as broad as he was tall with one eye scarred over. He seemed to be the leader of the bunch, by Link’s estimate.

“Are you Link?” He asked. Link nodded. How did they know his name? What did they want?

“So you’re the hero of this Hyrule, correct?” One of the others asked. Link scrunched his face in confusion but nodded. He was the hero, but something about how the man worded it unsettled Link. “Of this Hyrule”? There was only one Hyrule as far as Link knew. Then again, he would never have thought Lorule to exist before he visited.

“Excellent!” The same man exclaimed. Stepping forward, the man clamped a hand on Link’s shoulder, and Link automatically grabbed his arm and flipped him over his shoulder.

“Get wrecked, Warriors!” One of the remaining men cackled. He was taller than Link, with a wolf pelt draped over his shoulders. Link eyed the man on the ground for a second, wondering what kind of name or nickname was Warriors, but before he could say anything, Ravio appeared next to him, twittering apologies to their... “guests”. Sheerow flew lazy circles above their heads for a moment and darted back inside.

“Strong arms on you, huh?” The one-eyed man said with a small chuckle. Link looked at him warily but nodded. He was a blacksmith, it came second only to hero-ing. He had to have strong arms. 

“Good,” The man said before turning to his flipped companion. “Warriors, get up. We have some things to discuss with Link, and you’re better at explaining it.” Warriors, as it seemed his name was, grumbled but stood up, brushing himself off. He glanced at Link but returned to the leader’s side without a word. Link placed a hand on Ravio’s lower back, leaned in, and whispered in his ear, “Go put on some tea, this seems like it will take a while, okay, Bunny?” Ravio blushed but bounced off without another word. Link smiled. Warriors raised an eyebrow, but none of them said anything.

“Well, come in, I guess?” Link said, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. The one-eyed man nodded and motioned the others to follow them inside.

-

_ Three months later… _

“Legend,  _ duck! _ ” Wind shouted, throwing his boomerang. Link dropped to the ground, narrowly missing the projectile. Glancing up, Link watched the lizafol drop to the ground in pain. He took the chance and ran forward with his sword in hand. Slamming it down into the monster’s chest, Link winced as he saw the infected blood roll down its green skin. Disgusting.

Gazing around, he watched as the other monsters fled the battle, leaving the group sporting wounds and smiles. He huffed. He wanted this journey over with already. Not that he didn’t like the others, but he missed— 

“Hey, Legend!” Four said, coming over to him. Link’s train of thought was broken by Four’s interruption, but he didn’t mind. Four was a good friend. He understood Link, as a fellow adventurer and blacksmith. He waited for Four to reach him before greeting him.

“Can I ask you something?” Four said. Link raised an eyebrow but nodded. Four swallowed hard before speaking.

“I need help with a blacksmithing project. I want to make Shadow a… knife,” Four muttered. Link’s eyebrow rose even more, and he stopped Four before he could speak anymore.

“Smithy, what kind of knife are we talking about? Pocket? Machete? Bowie? Engagement?” Link inquired. Four blushed, and he understood. “So you wanna make an engagement knife? What kind of metal are we talking about?” Four sputtered.

“You aren’t going to make fun of me?” Four asked. Link scoffed. Would he make fun of him? Absolutely. But would he help him? Absolutely. That’s what friends do.

“...I was thinking maybe silver? Or is that too cliché?”

“Cliché but solid. I’ll help you make it when we get back to a forge, okay?” Four nodded and walked over the Wild, asking his opinion on something. Gems maybe? Link wasn’t paying that close of attention. He was too busy realizing he was jealous. He, Link, was fucking jealous of his friend, because of… an engagement knife. What in Din’s name? What was wrong with him?

It wasn’t like he wanted to make someone an engagement knife himself. Absolutely not. He didn’t get attached to people like that after Marin. His literal dream girl. She wasn’t even real. That was the worst part.

Shaking his head lightly, Link pulled out a rag from his pack and wiped his sword down. Gross. If only monster’s blood was useful. They could easily set up shop selling the stuff with the amount they come in contact with. He was sure Ravio could help start the shop. He smiled a little at the thought. Ravio would love to help.

As his mind wandered, Link missed the knowing look Warriors and Time shared nearby.

-

_ One month later… _

It was hot in the forge, but Link lived for it. Four was definitely the better smith, but it didn’t mean Link wasn’t helpful. Soon, they had a beautiful knife with hilt inlaid with onyx stones at their hands. Four sniffled as he held it, measuring the balance again and again.

“It’s  _ perfect. _ He’s gonna love this,” He sobbed. Link laid a hand on his friend’s shoulder, patting it gently. He had made many an engagement blade, but never one so personal. Shadow was going to love it, or else Link was going to kill him. Four deserved to be happy. Even if it was with a former villain.

“Now we just need to find Shadow,” Link said, thinking aloud. Four nodded before wrapping the blade carefully. He stuck it in his pack as Link began to clean the forge up.

“Don’t bother, the forge is always a wreck,” Four said, waving his hand. Link nodded, but continued to clean. It couldn’t hurt, plus he felt weird and cleaning always seemed to help. Four watched Link as he flitted about the forge, sweeping and moving tools.

“You’re jealous, aren’t you?” Four finally said. Link stopped, startled. Jealous? He had gotten over being jealous, hadn’t he? “You want to make a knife? We have extra materials, we could make one.”

“Who the fuck would I make it for? The one woman I loved, I lost, forever,” Link sputtered after a moment of stunned silence. Four looked at him, cocking his head to the side in confusion. Wasn’t he… oh.  _ Oh. _

“You haven’t realized, have you?” Four said. Link scrunched his nose up, befuddled. A voice from the door interrupted them before Link could ask anything more.

“Wild says dinner is ready!” Wind smiled brightly as he spoke. “Oh, did I interrupt?”

Four shook his head, grabbing his pack and following Wind out of the forge. Link stood there for another moment, wondering what Four had meant by “ _ you haven’t realized, _ ” but ultimately shrugged it off as just a misunderstanding. Misunderstandings happen, like the time he and Ravio— well, it didn’t really matter. It was dinner time and Link had worked up an appetite in the forge and wanted his fair share of the food.

It didn’t really matter either, that he dreamed of purple gemstones and long blades that would look perfect between tanned fingers. It really didn’t.

-

_ Two months later… _

It wasn’t a long climb up the hill, but it felt like forever with how excited Link was. He was  _ finally  _ home, after six months on the road with the other Links. Not that he didn’t love them, but he missed his Ravi’. Link stumbled at that thought.  _ His  _ Ravi’? Where had that come from? Sure, Ravio was his best friend and roommate, but he was Ravio, the one and only! There was no other Ravio. Besides, saying Ravio was  _ his _ felt… intimate.

Link shook his head and continued up the hill with the boys on his heels. Finally reaching the top, Link flung the door open and froze.

Ravio was standing at the side of his table, eyes wide, staring at Link. In his hand was a knife, ornate and beautiful, and he wasn’t alone. There was a pretty brunette standing in front of him, scowling at Link. Link stuttered out a ‘sorry’, and slammed the door behind him as he left.

“Legend, what was—?” Wind started to ask, standing behind him. Link, blinking the forming tears away, marched through the group of boys, taking off towards the forest without a word.

“Link!” Someone called after him, but Link paid no mind. He had to get out of there. Activating his pegasus boots, he flew through the forest, finding his way into the deepest part before he finally stopped. He was gasping for air, tears streaking down his face. He couldn’t believe it. Some girl had proposed to Ravi’.  _ His  _ Ravi’. Fuck the intimacy of saying that, Ravio was  _ his _ , he was the one person who wouldn’t judge him, the only person who would care about him,  _ he was the love of his life for Din’s Sake! _

Link stopped dead. Ravio was… the love of his life. But that didn’t make sense, he loved Marin,  _ Marin _ was the love of his life! 

…Wasn’t she?

“Legend?” A soft voice came from behind him. Link turned, shaking. Twilight stood in front of him. The look on his face was one of pure concern. Link’s breathing hitched and he fell to his knees. “Legend!” Twilight shouted, dropping next to Link. Link sobbed, trying to speak but couldn’t manage more than a few words. Twilight placed a hand on the other, rubbing his back gently.

“I-I-I-I love hi-hi-him,” Link finally choked out. Twilight’s hand froze for a moment, before continuing its repetitive motion. “I love him, an-an-and h-he, he,” Link stopped, tears taking over. They sat there a while, Link crying and Twilight rubbing his back before Twilight spoke up.

“You have to talk to him at some point, Legend,” Twilight’s voice was full of pity, and Link resented that. But he knew the wolf man was right. “It’s obvious he’s in love with you, genius.”

Link’s head snapped up, a firm gaze trained on Twilight. 

“What are you talking about? Ravi’ doesn’t love me,” Twilight stared at Link blankly. “...He doesn’t. Or at least not like I do,” Link whispered after a few seconds. He pulled his hat down over his head, covering his eyes. He didn’t want to look at Twilight anymore.

“Legend, you are an idiot. He came outside as soon as you ran, screaming your name. He  _ cried. _ He’s in love with you. He told the girl no for a reason, Legend,” Twilight said. Link swallowed hard, processing this.

“...He did?” Link peeked out from under his hat. Twilight nodded. Standing up, Twilight brushed himself off, and held out a hand for Link.

“Come on, let’s go talk to him.”

“Okay,” Link was reluctant to see Ravio, but driven by Twilight’s statement.  _ “He’s in love with you.”  _ Could Twilight be right? Could… could Ravio actually love him? As they approached the hill where his house sat, Link paused, wary. What if Twilight was wrong? What if Ravio hated him?

“ _ Link! _ ” A familiar voice screamed from the top of the hill. Looking up, Link watched as Ravio sped down the hill, almost tumbling as he ran. Before Link could say anything— an apology, _ a confession _ — Ravio’s arms were crushing him into a tight embrace. The purple clad man was crying, violent sobs shaking his whole body.

“I th-thought y-you  _ hated _ me, Link. I thought you were leaving me  _ again _ ,” Ravio cried into Link’s shoulder. Link ran his fingers through Ravio’s hair, speechless. He thought he hated him? No! Never!

“Ravi’. Ravi’, look at me,” Link spoke quietly. Ravio looked up into Link’s eyes and Link gulped. “I love you, you silly Rabbit. I was jealous of—” Before Link could finish his sentence, Ravio’s lips were crashing into his. Link froze. He couldn’t believe that Ravio was  _ kissing him.  _ Link quickly kissed Ravio back, pouring his love into the kiss.

They finally pulled away when Warriors let out a low whistle, which had startled them both. Ravio blushed heavily and Link sputtered at the congratulatory pat on the back that Four gave him. Dick.

“Ah… would you like to come inside?” Ravio asked, motioning towards the house. Link snorted. Would he like to come inside his own house? But he couldn’t bring himself to snark at Ravio. He was too in love with him to care about a stupid little question like that.

Grabbing Ravio’s hand, he tugged him along as they walked to the door of the house, the Links following behind. Once they were all inside, Wild offered to cook dinner and the other Links dispersed through the house, leaving the lovebirds alone. Ravio blushed again, looking up at Link. Link smiled and kissed his cheek softly.

“I’m sorry you had to see that. Marta… She came to visit me every week while you were gone. Talked my ear off, really,” Ravio chuckled. “But I didn’t like her. I didn’t like anyone, really. No one could compare to you.”

“Ravio…” Link whispered, blushing heavily. Ravio leaned up, planting a small kiss on Link’s lips. They stood there a while, caught up in each other, before Time came and interrupted them.

“I hate to bother you two, but dinner is done,” He said, his voice warm. He was happy for the two boys. Time turned and left the boys standing together. Ravio tugged on Link’s hand, pulling him towards the kitchen.

“Come on, Mr. Hero. Let’s eat dinner, and you can tell me about your journey,” Ravio smiled. Link followed behind him.

-

_ Two months later… _

“It’s finished!” Link cackled happily. He held up his prize, a gorgeous bronze knife with purple gems at the hilt. It was something out of a dream, it was so beautiful. Four clapped him on the back, proud of his friend.

Carefully laying the blade down, Link wrapped it in linen. He was so excited. He was going to do it. He was going to propose to Ravio.

The plan was simple. The Links were going to go “explore town” and Ravio and Link were going to stay behind. Link was going to offer to make lunch, and after he made it, he was going to present the knife to Ravio, and hopefully,  _ hopefully _ , Ravio said yes.

Link nodded to Four, who went to round up the boys. He took a deep breath and slipped the wrapped knife into his pocket. It was time to put his plan into action. He could only hope it turned out for the best.

“We’re headed to town, be back later!” Wind hollered through the doorway. Ravio looked up from his book, surprised.

“Are they all going to town?” He asked. Link nodded.

“Yeah, they said they wanted to explore. I voted to stay, I didn’t want to see Marta roaming around the market,” Link said. Ravio nodded, flushing. He knew Marta made Link mad, but not so mad that he would act on his anger. “How about I make us some lunch?”

Ravio looked at Link in surprised. He rarely cooked, but was a decent cook when he chose to be. He smiled, and nodded again. Link headed to the kitchen, thinking about the knife and Ravio’s possible reactions. He made sandwiches, making sure to make them exactly how Ravio liked. He wanted to make this perfect.

“Link?” Ravio called from the doorway. Link turned, holding the sandwiches on a plate. He gasped, dropping the plate on the floor. In Ravio’s hand was a beautiful steel knife, inlaid with red gems. Link eyes filled with tears.

“Will you marry me?” Ravio asked quietly. Link laughed, nodding before pulling out his own blade, presenting it to his partner. 

“Will  _ you  _ marry  _ me _ ?” Ravio gasped, surprised, before laughing happily, nodding his head. The two switched blades, admiring them in the sunlight streaming in the windows. Ravio leaned in, kissing Link softly. Link returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around Ravio’s waist.

This was certainly worth the wait.


End file.
